


the clock stopped ticking forever ago

by ziathebee



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Company Picnic, M/M, did this just for fun, even tho angst isn't what most people write for fun, probably, spoilers for episode 47 of wtnv
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 14:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6959980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ziathebee/pseuds/ziathebee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>written for a random prompt using this generator on tumblr: http://promptsgalore.tumblr.com</p><p>prompt: write about a picnic gone terribly wrong</p>
            </blockquote>





	the clock stopped ticking forever ago

**Author's Note:**

> this is gonna be kinda sad and i do apologize in advance for that lmao don't hurt me
> 
> also this is kind of an au where tamika was placed in the company picnic because i forgot she was in the juvenile detention center at this point haaaaaa
> 
> oops

Cecil should have fucking known.

Why did he do this? Why did he ever think it was a good idea to go to a _StrexCorp company picnic?_ He had literally zero clue.

But that wasn't important at this point, was it? He was still here, surrounded by all the other Night Vale citizens he knew and loved with all his heart. Except Dana and Carlos, whom he loved the most of all, ironically. Cecil supposed it was a good thing they were gone, though. It was better this way. Cecil knew perfectly well what StrexCorp would do to them if they were here- especially Carlos. He knew many things he shouldn't.

God, why didn't Carlos ever listen to his warnings? Cecil supposed he could not be angry with him, for Cecil loved his boyfriend more than anyone in this life and he understood Carlos's need for justification of the unknown, as he was a scientist. That was a scientist's job. Cecil just wished Carlos wouldn't do his job, at least not so eagerly. But he also knew fully well there was no way for Cecil to stop Carlos once he had started. So he left him to do his own thing.

The radio host's milky lavender orbs scanned his surroundings, his vision blurry and edged with black. He could hardly see a thing. He let his eyes flutter closed once more. As he returned to consciousness he felt an incredible ache in the area of his ribs and he reached over to find that when he pressed against the skin it shot a white-hot flash of pain through his body and he gripped the earth to keep from sobbing erratically. Cecil could hardly hear, his senses drowned by agony. The blonde clenched a pole to the side of the clearing until his knuckles were ivory, and he dragged himself upward, shakily standing up.

The man's vision began to steadily clear until he could at least recognize that across the area a young girl holding a copy of Pride and Prejudice to her chest lay, arms bleeding from wounds that appeared to have come from a whip. Her skin was dark and the borders of her eyes were scarlet and puffy, seemingly from crying. Cecil's heart dropped as he quickly realized who she was.

Tamika Flynn. Brave Tamika Flynn. Leader of the rebellion against StrexCorp, now reduced down to but a limp 12-year-old girl with her torn-up paperback novel, tears streaming down her face and body worn by whip marks.

Cecil approached her with an awful limp, leaning down to gently touch the young girl's wrist. Her pulse was still running, and the blonde breathed a deep sigh of relief. Tamika was like a sister to him. Thank the gods she was alive.

"Just hold on Tamika... I promise you, we are going to get out of here alive. Both of us." Cecil whispered softly to her. Her eyes fluttered open innocently and Cecil smiled down at her. Tamika did not return the gesture, but Cecil was alright with that. She sat up with a wince.

"Cecil, where are we?" Tamika asked loudly, obviously disoriented by her sudden awakening.

Cecil hastily pressed his fingers to her lips. "Please, Tamika, be quiet. We're at the company picnic." He cringed a little at the words.

Tamika nodded her head slowly as she recalled all of it. The helicopters surrounding her army, the lights flashing wickedly, a woman's silhouette calling to them from the passenger's seat of the cockpit with a megaphone. Her words blurring from the action. StrexCorp soldiers descending into the crowd of young adults bearing their books. They fought all they could against the enemy, but eventually they were all captured. Some were killed, if not heavily injured.

Tamika also faintly remembered the sound of the whip travelling through the air and striking her exposed arms, leaving large cuts that hurt like a motherfucker. The girl cast her hazel eyes down at the marks and sighed. "They didn't tie us up." She remarked dryly, trying to distract herself from the pain.

Cecil dipped his head in agreement. "Yes..." He said, trailing off into thought.

"I believe they are expecting us to attempt escape, no?" Tamika mused, her eyes meeting Cecil's. The man gave a nod. Tamika hummed with displeasure in reply, still lost in thought. "Maybe we wait for them and then run?" The girl suggested.

Cecil shook his head. "I... we can't wait anymore. I think this has been going on for at least a month or two." Cecil pointed at Tamika's wounds and she nodded in agreement. Some marks were fresher than others, judging by the caking of blood.

"Fine. How about we dig a hole?" She added.

"Too obvious." Cecil replied. Tamika was doing a better job of keeping her cool than Cecil was, but he hadn't had a breakdown yet, which was always a good sign when it came to him.

They continued shooting ideas at one another for about an hour when suddenly there was a yell from outside the kennel where Cecil and Tamika were being kept. "Hey, they're awake!" Suddenly their were yellow-suited people entering the kennel and Cecil stood in front of Tamika defensively. She remained on the ground, unable to stand due to her wounds.

The people laughed and suddenly a punch was thrown at the Voice of Night Vale's jaw. And then a fast kick to his ribs. And more and more until Cecil was screaming in agony.

Cecil was crumpled on the floor within seconds. Tamika gazed down at him with blankness in her eyes, her lip quivering with fear. She was near tears and would give anything to stay with her friend and keep him safe, but she was a smart girl. She was aware that the soldiers would only harm him more if she did not succumb. So, she closed her eyes and allowed the StrexCorp minions to scoop her up and only grunted with pain to herself. They did not seem to notice her noise, which she was very thankful for.

Tamika looked over at her heavily-injured friend and pushed back her sobs as he looked up at her with misery in his three eyes. His hair was matted and bloodied and the remainder of his body was covered in blotches of red liquid and blue-black bruises.

 _I'm sorry. This has all gone so wrong. I'm so sorry, Cecil._ Tamika thought, though she understood that Cecil couldn't hear her.

And so she was taken away, Cecil left to his own painful devices.

The entire plan had gone completely and utterly wrong, and there was nothing Tamika or Cecil or the rest of the town could do to reverse the damages. They had lost.

**Author's Note:**

> mmm this could have been better but it doesn't really matter i guess?? i just did this for fun so y'know
> 
> also ceEC I'M SORRY


End file.
